Tiger of the Week: Sophie LaMontagne '00

Sophie LaMontagne ’00, left, with her sister and business partner, Katherine Kallinis. (Photo courtesy TLC)

Georgetown Cupcake, the bakery launched by Sophie LaMontagne ’00 and her sister, Katherine Kallinis, has achieved remarkable popularity in the two years since it opened on the corner of 33rd and M streets in Washington, D.C. The line of patrons regularly stretches beyond the front door as customers anxiously wait for favorite cupcake flavors like salted caramel and chocolate hazelnut.

But LaMontagne, a molecular biology major who worked in finance before taking the plunge as a cupcake entrepreneur, told USA Today that the shop started with pretty simple ingredients: "In the beginning, it was just the two of us, our life savings, and a lot of sweat equity."

The sisters' knack for creating tasty treats allowed them to expand with a second store in nearby Bethesda, Md. And last week, their business received another boost when LaMontagne and Kallinis made their first appearance as stars of the six-part TLC reality series D.C. Cupcakes.

More than a million people tuned in to watch the show's July 16 debut, with more than half coming from the coveted 18-to-49 age bracket, according to The Washington Post. The show's success comes just months after the D.C.-based incarnation of MTV's The Real World flopped, leading Post TV columnist Lisa de Moraes to conclude that "viewers actually like reality shows set in Washington, but with sprinkled jimmies rather than hot-tub splashes."

VIDEO: Watch LaMontagne create a batch of the bakery's famous Lava Fudge cupcakes.

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